Pagan Republic
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Pagan Totem (Nation) | |
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 Flag | |
Blackfeet Reservation, Montana, United States | |
| Capital | Heart Butte |
| Largest city | Heart Butte |
| Official languages | Ojibway and English |
| Government | Totemic |
| Legislature | Totemic |
| Establishment | January 8, 1960 |
| Population | |
• Census | 1,000 |
| Currency | Yet to be Determined |
| Time zone | (Mountain) |
This nation is a member of the Rocky Boy Tribe of Ojibway's | |
Pagan Totem or Republic is located within Blackfeet Reservation which is located at northwest Montana. Pagan is derived from Peigan.
The Rocky Boy Tribe of Ojibway's of Montana was set aside a Reservation at Blackfeet Reservation in November 1909 or in 1895.
In September 1895, American leaders requested from Blackfeet Reservation leaders for land cession. When negotiations commenced BR leaders first asked how much money would they be paid.
Apparently they had already agreed to sell land before negotiations commenced. After learning that BR leaders were more concerned about money, American leaders knew they had bought them.
American leaders were quick to set Great Northern Railroad as a boundary. BR leaders wanted Cut Bank Creek as a boundary and $3 million.
American leaders rejected the $3 million BR offer and instead told BR leaders they'd pay $1.5 million for land from Great Northern Railroad to Birch Creek.
Farm land was at issue. Not mineral land which both sides knew BR had little of. BR had much farmland.
Boundaries are Blackfeet Reservations east from Cut Bank Creek where Maria's River is then north to Great Northern Railroad then follows Great Northern Railroad west to Blackfeet Reservations extreme west then to Blackfeet Reservations extreme southwest at Birch Creek then follows Birch Creek east to Cut Bank Creek where it merges with Maria's River.
Though not a first Reservation chief Rocky Boy was given, it is possibly his best known. We can try and gain tribal recognition from Blackfeet Reservation yet we will be told to get lost.
Whites can start colonies within Blackfeet Reservation yet the Rocky Boy Tribe is not allowed. And we know we were given a Reservation there.
According to a November 17, 1909 news article (it's located below under communities - to read it you have to click on communities link), chief Rocky Boy and his Ojibway Subjects, were given land 20 miles from Blackfoot Agency or Browning.
However, the Reservation was probably set aside in 1895 when BR leaders sold much of BR.
History
On January 14, 1902, chief Rocky Boy sent a letter to President Roosevelt asking for Ojibway Reservations. He claimed he was chief of Chippewa's scattered throughout United States without Reservations or they were landless on Reservations and off Reservations. It was about land allotments on existing Reservations and off.
Chief Rocky Boy was possibly elected highest ranking Ojibway leader in 1902. Though he was denied new Ojibway Reservations, chief Rocky Boy then asked for his Ojibway Subjects to settle on land not surveyed which was accepted. He actually agreed to accept land allotments in Compact Form.
Reservations that had Surplus Lands were subject to their Surplus Lands being ceded. The land allotments in Compact Form become the reduced Reservations. Fort Hall Reservation in southeast Idaho, was possibly the first Ojibway Reservation given to chief Rocky Boy. That was in 1901.
Chief Rocky Boy not only led many Ojibway's to Blackfeet Reservation, he also was in charge of sending his Ojibway Subjects to other Reservations in United States, Canada and elsewhere. In some cases, land was added to existing Reservations for chief Rocky Boy's Ojibway Subjects. Chippewa National Forest is an example.
In November 1909, chief Rocky Boy was forced to relocate to a new Ojibway Reservation at Blackfeet Reservation. They reached Browning, Montana on Sunday November 14, 1909. Chief Rocky Boy was living at his large Reservation adjacent to Great Falls, Montana before November 1909.
In 1907, there were indications that the United States was not going to honor treaty that created chief Rocky Boy's Reservation adjacent to Great Falls.
Chief Rocky Boy negotiated with Senator Dixon about the predicament. Senator Dixon tried helping chief Rocky Boy yet fear gripped American leaders.
In January 1908, St. Peters Mission which is located about 25 miles southwest of Great Falls, was targeted. A school possibly named after chief Rocky Boy, was destroyed by fire. Stone Boy's School, the Wooden Priests Residence and school for Native American girls were all destroyed at St. Peters Mission. Chief Rocky Boy obviously knew about the incidents yet went on.
Then on October 18, 1908 it turned deadly. A Game Warden and a Deputized citizen, attacked a small camp of Ojibway's near Holland Lake in Swan Valley. Five were killed including the Game Warden. Shortly after, chief Rocky Boy became very concerned for his subjects. He needed to keep them out of trouble. He commenced negotiations to avoid war.
Ojibway People were defenseless. Within a year, 1,000's of Ojibway's from chief Rocky Boy's Reservation located adjacent to Great Falls and extended to Swan Valley and Helena, had prepared for forced relocations. Of course, as you already know one location was Blackfeet Reservation. There were others as well.
Though they wrote each Ojibway Subject was given 80 acres, that is misleading. It was land set aside in Compact Form. Ojibway leaders always demanded land in Compact Form.
If American leaders negotiated an agreement in which part of a particular Reservation was ceded (considered Surplus Land after allotments) and agreed to leave what remained of that particular Reservation in Compact Form, Ojibway leaders accepted that agreement.
If American leaders did not follow agreements and used fraud to allot land to individual Ojibway's who could sell that land to whites, Ojibway leaders became enraged and on occasions had those that sold Reservation land illegally, executed.
Politics and Government
Resumption of Ojibway Peoples Totemic System. Ojibway People lived by a Totemic System which is also known as Totemism. There were six major Ojibway Totems. They include:
Agriculture: (Gitiganneg or Agriculture People)
Education & Health: (Midewiwinneg or Medicine People)
Fisher: (Gigoikewinneg or Fishing People)
Hunter: (Giossewinneg or Hunting People)
Military & Police: (Nokog or Military People)
Trade: (Atawewinneg or Trading People)
Within the six major Ojibway Totems were smaller totems that had the responsibility of work affiliated with the major totem they were in. They took their surnames from their totems.
Religion
Many people think of the Great Spirit when they think about Ojibway religion. They need to read William W. Warrens 19th century book "History of the Ojibway People," to understand that Judaism is our religion.
Warren wrote that if all Ojibway Stories or Tales, were written down in order and published in a book, they would be identical to the Hebrew bible or old testament. Ojibway People had a belief in a Creator. They did not have a belief in a Great Spirit.
In Ojibway Language, Manitou or Manito, means "insect." In Ojibway Dictionaries they don't define what Manitou or Manito means. However, they define what "insect" means.
In Ojibway Language, their word for "insect" is Manitous. It's pronounced Man-i-tos. Those familiar with Ojibway Language, know Manitous is a diminutive meaning Little Insect. So Manitou or Manito does in fact mean "insect." It does not mean ghost!
Atheism was likely their dominate belief pertaining to religion. Ojibway leaders did not allow their subjects to know about what whites term "the old testament."
Though stories were told they were for a form of entertainment. Ojibway leaders, however, took the stories seriously.
Geography and Climate
Chief Rocky Boy's Pagan Totem, is rugged or nearly all sloping prairie land that becomes more hilly as it extends west. Near Browning, foothills that lead to Glacier National Parks Mountains, commence about a mile or so to it's south.
Climate conditions vary. Winters are cold yet not as cold as winters are in North Dakota and Minnesota. Chinook Winds warm up this location.
Chinook Winds are strong at East Glacier Park Village and Heart Butte which are adjacent to mountains. Winds can gust up to 80 mph to 90 mph or higher, during high wind storms that happen several times each winter. Summers are mild.
Communities
There are few communities located within Pagan Totem. Below is a November 1909 news article that will help you learn!
Heart Butte is located adjacent to the Rocky Mountains near 20 miles south of Browning. It's population is 698.
East Glacier Park Village is located near 10 miles northwest of Heart Butte. We'll exclude that portion of EGPV north of GNR.
Little Browning (aka Seville) is located about a mile from Cut Bank, Montana
South Browning is adjacent to GNR which allows Pagan Totem to include all three Browning settlements.
Parts of Blackfoot are within PT which allows PT to include all of Blackfoot.
Land set aside for chief Rocky Boy in 1909, needs to be located. It was set aside in compact form and probably includes Babb, St. Mary and Star School.
